whitney



(No M50161.

" r E. R. WHITNEY.

ELEGTRIO THERAPEUTIC DEVIGE.

No. 376,018. Patented Jan. 3, 1888.

N. PETERS. Phnln-Limngnp UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

EDWIN R. WHITNEY, OF ST. JOHNSBURSQVERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD ELECTRIC COMPANY OF VERMONT, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC THERAPEUTIC DEVICE,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,018, dated January 3. 1888.

Application filed August 31, 1887. Serial No. 248,407. (No model.)

- certain new and useful Improvements in Electric'Therapeutic Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and

exact description of the same.

This invention relates to devices for enabling persons to ascertain the degree to which they can withstand an electric shock, its primary object being to provide, in connection with the usual generator, a device easy of operation and which will allow the user to control and vary the forceof current while using it, and administer either acontinuous increasing and diminishing charge or intermittent shocks of varying intensity; and, secondly, the novel combination of such controlling device with generator-connections, &e., to produce a portable electric therapeutic apparatus-i. 0., one which a party can easily carry about and allow the public to use under his supervision.

The invention consists, broadly speaking, as regards the controlling device, of a hand induction-coil set up in a telescopic casing, the general shape of which resembles that of a dumb-bell, the poles (which the user holds) being at either outside end of each telescopic section. One section carries the primary coil, a vibrator, and binding-post, to which generator-wires are connected, and the other seetion carries the secondary coil, whose circuit includes both poles. A spiral spring is arranged to keep the two sections apart, and thereby the'secondary coil normally out of inductive proximity to the primary, so that the person using the device has simply to press the sections toward each other or telescope them'to any extent he wishes, the force of the current increasing proportionally.

The portable apparatus with which the controlling device above described is connected consists of a box or casing in which a compartment is provided to store the controlling device when not in use, another for the battery, and one for coins, which must be introduced to close thebattery-circuit in this case.

On the back wall of this box a conduit included in the'battery-circuit into which the coin is dropped is arranged to be operated to hold the coin for a time to keep the batterycircuit closed and then free it, and two springcontacts, also included in the battery-circuit to form a break, are arranged to be closedby the parts operating the conduit. 1

The operating parts referred to consist of push-buttons, rod, bell-crank lever, springs, &c.

For full comprehension, however, of the invention reference must behad to the annexed drawings, in which-- Figure l is a longitudinal section of the controlling device or hand induction-coil; Fig. 2, a vertical section of portable casing for carrying such controlling device, generator, 850.; Fig. 3, a perspective exterior view of such casing, showing a strap attached by which the entire apparatus could be carried across the shoulder or otherwise. Figs. 4 and 5 are details showing connections with primary coil from generator and connections with the poles from secondary coil, while Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of combination push-button forming part of mechanism for opening and closing battery-circuit.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

Referring to Figs. 1, 4, and 5, showing a section of the hand induction-coil, A is the primary coil, of ordinary construction, with wire core passing through insulated base A, this base fitting an annular recess formed in the outside end of the turned insulated section A A hollow metallic cap, A which forms a pole to be held in one hand, is secured to the outside end of A.

A is the vibrator, of ordinary construction, also arranged on the outside end of A the function of which is, as usual, to create the pulsations in the current which passes through bored, to be pressed or telescoped into it. As shown, the end of the primary coil A is provided with an insulated head, a, which fits the interior of cylinder B of the secondary coil,

'and a spiral spring, (3, bears, respectively, at

either end against head a of the primary coil and an insulated seat, b, on the interior of the cap or pole B to keep the sections apart the extent allowed by a chain, D, connecting them together.

P N are the terminals of the circuit of a bat tery, X, secured to binding-posts P N on end of section A 1? N are wires from such binding-post to posts of vibrator A"; and p n, terminals of primary coil, also connected with the posts of vibrator.

E is a metal indicatorplate (on which is marked a scale of electric units) slotted to correspond with a slot, a, in section A on which section it is secured.

F is a metal boss or projection screwed into section B and workingin slot to. 'A pointer, F, projects from this boss and a metal brush, G, is secured to it by a screw, H, to bear on and traverse the indicator-plate E.

of b are metal contacts, with which the poles A B are in electrical connection.

One terminal, I), of the secondary coil connects with the contact If, while the other terminal, a, connects with the metal boss F, screwed into section B, and a wire, a connects the indicator-plate E and contact 0. electrically.

The primary and secondary circuits can very easily be traced, the primary from battery-wire P to binding-post P, wire P to vibrator,through vibrator and primary coil, and back to battery-wire N. The secondary circuit for the induced current includes secondary coil B, terminal I), contact If, pole B terminal a", boss or projection F, brush G, indicator-plate E, wire of, pole A, and the body of the person using the apparatus.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3, and 6, Q is a box or casing provided wit-h doors Q Q, the former allowing of access to compartments Q Q, respectively, for battery X and coins deposited, and the latter opening a compartment, Q (preferably upholstered,) in which the hand induction-coil just described may be stored when not in use.

R R are metal runways forming a conduit to the coincompartment Q for any coins which may be dropped through slot q in the top of the box. The one B is stationary, while It is movable, being only pivoted at its top end at r and connected by arm R at its lower end to a bell-crank lever, S, situated in compartment Q. The horizontal arm of this lever is connected by a retractile spring, S, to the bottom of the battery-compartment, the action of which spring is to keep the runway R pressed toward R and hold the coin.

T T are spring-contacts secured to the inside of compartment Q, on the upper, T, of which rests the end of a vertical rod, U, passing through a slot in the horizontal arm of lever S and up to the top of the box. On the top of the rod U the button U, with a collar, U formed on it, as shown in detail in Fig. 6, is secured and works through an aperture in the top of the box and another button, W, in the shape of a cylinder, the inside of the upper end of which bears on the upper side of collar U of the button U, and is pierced to 7 fit over central portion of button U. The lower end of the cylinder is plugged, and a spiral spring, W, bears against the under side of the collar U" and the plugged lower end of the cylinder W, so as to keep the upper end of cylinder W normally in contact with collar U.

a is a pin projecting from side of rod U just above horizontal arm of bell-crank lever S, the function of which will be hereinafter men- 8 tioned.

Y is a spring secured to back of box, bearing up against plugged end of cylinder-button W to assist in keeping it in its normal position. Suitable wire connections are shown,

, first, from one pole of battery to movable runway R; second, from stationary runway R to lower spring-contact, T; third, from upper spring-contact, T, to one, X, of two binding-posts, X X on the vertical division of 9 the casing, the fourth connection being from the opposite pole of the battery to post X". The terminals P N lead from these bindingposts X X in the form of a cable, X to the hand induction-coil, as before described.

Z is a strap or other suitable device secured at any desired point on the box to carry it across the shoulder or otherwise.

The operation of the invention is as follows: WVhen the controlling device is used for healthlift purposes or privately, it is simply connected direct or through any suitable key to the poles of a battery by cable X and the in valid has a device very easily operated to present varying degrees of current, as it is only I necessary to press the poles toward each other, so that the secondary coil will receive an induced current from the primary. When used rather as a source of amusement, it is combined with the apparatus illustrated by Fig. I 2, in which case the person desiring to use the apparatus deposits a coin (shown by dotted lines) in the conduit, and the person in charge then opens door Q and hands the controlling 7 device to the user, who holds a pole in each I hand. It will be seen that the coin, being held between the two runways, closes the break in the battery-circuit at that point, and that it is only necessary now to close the break between contacts T T. This the attendant can I do by pressing down the door Q", which is thrown back and rests on the edge of button WV, as shown in Fig. 6. A very slight pressure will suffice, and it is transmitted through U, on which W bears, to rod U, which presses I the upper onto the lower contact, thus completing the battery-circuit and allowing the continues.

current to flow as long as such slight pressure To stop the current the attendant presses the door Q farther down until it reaches button U, when the ,further lowering of the rod brings the pin it in contact with and depresses the end of lever S, and through it draws the runway R away enough to release the coin, the absence of which breaks the battery-circuit and stops the current.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In an electric therapeutic device, a hand induction-coil set up in a telescopic casing formed of two insulated sections connected together and to be pressed toward each other,

one of which carries primary coil and necessary connections of same, with generator, and the other the secondary coil, and each carrying a pole on outside ends, spiral spring for introduction of a coin therein, and also of spring-contacts, a push-button operating to close such contacts, and means by which further pressure on push-button breaks the ciro cuit at the runways, the whole contained in a box.

EDWIN R. WHITNEY. Witnesses:

HENRY O. Barns,- ELISHA MAY. 

